Forensic pathology standards in China: a 30-year retrospective study.

China's forensic pathology standardization has accumulated more than 30 years of experience, but there is limited research summarizing the features and detailed information concerning these standards. In this paper, we collected documents on forensic pathology standards and statistically analyzed their types, effective scopes, drafting units, authorization departments, promulgation times, revision cycles, and other information. All of the standards information was obtained from standardization websites and databases. Since the first national standardization committee of forensic science established in 1991, a total of thirty-six forensic pathology standards have been published, including one national standard, thirty-one sector standards, and four enterprise standards. Among them, twenty-four standards were currently valid, while another twelve had been repealed. There were two management standards and thirty-four technical standards. The minimum revision cycle for standards was nine years, and the maximum cycle was twenty-three years. The standards system of forensic pathology had been primarily established, and the public welfare attributes of standardization were strengthened. However, some challenges still await positive actions, such as resolving the relative deficiencies of basic and management standards, satisfying the requirements for national standards, and advancing the delayed revisions of standards. In the future, we should continue to promote national standards for forensic pathology, actively absorb advanced international experience, strengthen the construction of basic and management standards, and fully encourage the flexibility, efficiency, and pioneer of standards dominated by associations, enterprises, and other organizations.